Creation stories - Beginning/Middle/End and Compare/Contrast
1) Read "Big Mama Makes the World" by Phyllis Root and together document the beginning/middle/end of the story.
2) Have students review Pan Gu story from Ancient China SS text book and in groups of two (or individually) document beginning/middle/end of that story, using handout from Read, Write, Think.
3) If time allows, read "Coyote" from "Marduk the Mighty" by Andrew Matthews and "The Mud on Turtles Back" from "When the world was Young" by Mararet Mayo, and compare/contrast similarities and differences between the creation stories, using handout from Read, Write, Think
Week of 2/9 & 2/16
Chinese Zodiac - Characteristics of Animals
(This is a simplified version of the lesson plan at EDSITEment.)
1) Review what the students know about the Chinese Calendar.
2) Hand out Chinese Zodiac Animals Traits List.doc for recording positive/negative traits of each animal.
3) Read "Cat & Rat" by Ed Young (Rat & Ox), "Why Rat Comes First" by Clara Yen (Rat & Ox), "Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Monica Chang (Rat & Ox), or "The Great Race - The Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Dawn Casey (Rat & Ox).
4) Have students record traits for each animal while stories are being read.
5) Review traits as a group.
Week of 2/23
1) Read "The Animals of the Chinese Zodaic" by Susan Whitfield (all of the animals are mentioned), "The Rooster's Antlers" by Eric Kimmel. (Dragon & Rooster), Animals in the Stars by Gregory Crawford (one story for each animal), "The Dragon's Tale" by Demi (one story for each animal) to complete the charts.
2) Compare traits in small groups and try to complete charts.
Week of 3/2, 3/10, & 3/30
Have students return to their lists of animal traits and see if they still have gaps to fill in. If so, use traits in books to complete charts. Then select one animal about which to make a bookmark. Bookmark should contain:
1) Picture of animal
2) Name of animal in Chinese and English
3) Positive and Negative traits of animal
4) Recent years of that animal
5) Student's name
Read The Great Wall by Elizabeth Mann and looked at Mongolia by Jan Reynolds
Books to Use During Library Time in Coming Weeks (in no particular order)
Ancient China Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of China's Past by Jacqueline Ball & Richard Levy Five Heavenly Emperors- Chinese Myths of Creation by song Nan Zhang - Chinese Mythology (to compare to Greek) Auntie Tigress and Other Favorite Chinese Folktales by Gia-Zhen Wang A Time of Golden Dragons by Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang - (Chapter 2) compares Dragon history in East and West. Confucius - The Golden Rule, by Russell Freedman (Chapter 4) The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fisher (Chapter 5) Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas, by Naomi C. Rose, in Fenn Collection
Books by Theme
Collections of Chinese Stories
Chi-Lin Purse: A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories by Linda Fang (Author), in Fenn Collection. Read Reviews Here.
Tales of a Chinese Grandmother: 30 Traditional Tales from China by Frances Carpenter. Read Reviews Here. Borrowed from MLN. Text too dense for students to read on their own.
HoYi the Archer and Other Classic Chinese Tales Retold by Shelley Fu, in Fenn Collection. Read Reviews Here.
The Spring of Butterflies and other Folktales of China's Minority Peoples by He Liyi, in Fenn Collection.
Favorite Children's Stories from China and Tibet by Lotta Carswell Hume, in Fenn collection.
A Time of Golden Dragons by Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown Read Reviews Here A picture book introducing the importance of Dragons in Chinese culture....history, legends, and a celebration of the millennium year.
Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival by Arlene Chan. In China Cart at B&T Read Reviews Here A respected librarian and experienced dragon boat racer explores the origins of the Chinese dragon boat festival, its customs, and the races themselves, which today celebrate the cultural heritage of the Chinese traditions.
Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like Written by Jay Williams, Illustrated by Mercer Mayer. Borrowed from MLN. A fabulous tale about a dragon who comes to save a town in the shape of an old man. Only because a lowly gatekeeper boy believes in him, does he accomplish his task.
Imagine a Dragon Written by Laurence Pringle, Illustrated by Eujin Kim Neilan. Borrowed from MLN; in B&T cart. A great comparison of Dragons in cultures from around the world. Could be done as read-aloud. Age appropriate.
Dragon Keeper series by Carole Wilkinson Taking place during the Han dynasty, a young slave girl becomes the dragon keeper of an ancient and wise dragon. Authentic details from the time period are interspersed throughout the entire trilogy.
Trickster Tales
Monkey King by Ed Young, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here
Monkey the Classic Chinese Adventure Tale by David Seow, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown
The Making of Monkey King by Robert Kraus (Author), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here Fantastic multilingual age appropriate story.
Adventures of Monkey King by R.L. Gao, in Fenn collection.
Chinese Zodiac
All of these books are for primary grades, but are good examples of how young children learn their culture's traditional stories.
Cat and Rat - The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Ed Young, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here This is a trickster tale - illustrations are dark and hard to see if reading aloud to a group, but beautiful for individual enjoyment.
The Great Race by Dawn Case, in Fenn Collection. Read Reviews Here This is an almost identical telling as the first book. Very different illustrations which could make for a good comparison.
Why Rat Comes First: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Clara Yen, requested from MLN. Read Reviews Here This is her family's version of the story; not a traditional telling. It is a very different story from the others which could make for a good comparison.
The Cat's Tale - Why the Years are Named for Animals by Doris Orgel, borrowed from MLN. Read Reviews Here This is a new book (2009) which uses a modern-day cat flash back to tell the traditional story.
Suggestions for other books, from EDSITEment Lesson Plan on Chinese Zodiac: Read aloud the following books about the Chinese zodiac to the class: The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Eric A. Kimmel, Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Ed Young, The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Susan Whitfield, The Dragon's Tale: And Other Animal Fables of the Chinese Zodiac by Demi, and The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by M. Chang.
Variations on Mulan
The Song of Mu Lan by Jeanne M. Lee, in Fenn Collection, Read Reviews Here
Ballad of Mulan - Retold by Song Nan Zhang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews HereUse this book after the students know the story so that they can simply look at the illustrations, which are very traditional, and tell the story themselves based on the illustrations.
Fa Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior by Robert San Souci, need to buy it.
Folktales
The Khan's Daughter: A Mongolian Folktale, by Lawrence Yep, in Fenn Collection, Read Reviews Here A peasant shepherd must prove his worthiness to win the hand of the daughter of the Khan.
Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas, by Naomi C. Rose, in Fenn Collection.
How the Rooster Got His Crown by Amy Lowry Poole, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here A Miao folktale from Western China. (Could be compared to "How Chipmunk Got his Stripes", a Native American tale, by Joe Bruchac)
The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy (Author), Mou-Sien Tseng (Illustrator), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here Seven brothers have extraordinary powers but need to learn to work together.
The Magic Horse of Han Gan by Chen Jiang Hong (Author), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read ReviewsHereTells a fantasy story of artist Han Gan from 1200 years ago. Gorgeous book - get it!
The Boy Who Swallowed Snakes by Laurence Yep (Author), Jean Tseng (Illustrator), Mou-Sien Tseng (Illustrator), in Fenn Collection. Great read aloud.
The Sons of the Dragon King: A Chinese Legend by Ed Young (Illustrator), in Fenn collection, Read Reviews
The Stone Lion by Alan Schroeder, borrowed from MLN, Read Reviews A Tibetan tale of a greedy brother and an honest brother.
The Emperor and the Kite by Jane Yolen and Ed Young, borrowed from MLN. Youngest, smallest, largely ignored child of the king saves him when he's captured in a tower by building a kite which is used to rescue him. What is the source of the story?
The Dragon's Robe by Deborah Nourse Lattimore, in Fenn collection.
The Junior Thunder Lord by Laurence Yep, in Fenn collection.
The Weaving of a Dream by Marilee Heyer, in Fenn collection.
The Beggar's Magic a Chinese Tale by Margaret and Ramond Chang, in Fenn Collection
Creation Stories
Five Heavenly Emperors Chinese Myths of Creation by Song Nan Zhang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here. Could be used as a read aloud. Not available at B&T, need to buy used on Amazon
Hou Yi Shoots the Suns by Feng Jiannan, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown. Published by Dolphin Books in Beijing in both English & Chinese. Part of "Chinese Tale Series".The mother sun gave birth to ten sons. When they grew up, they took turns shining over the earth, one brother each day. Once, however, all young suns appeared in the sky together. It became so hot that everything on earth was scorched dry and people were on the verge of perishing. A magic archer saved the world by shooting down nine of ten suns, leaving the last one to carry on. Like many of Chinese myths, this story may have been based on an actual person, in this case a skilled bowman who lived sometime between 2436-2255 B.C. Available used on Amazon.
When the World Was Young: Creation and Pourquoi Tales by Margaret Mayo - OOP, available used through Amazon. Borrowed from CPL. Can also be used for a unit on Native Americans, Read Reviews Here.
Marduk the Mighty and Other Stories of Creation by Andrew Matthews - Ditto from the above title. Read Reviews Here
The Dreamer by Cynthia Rylant & Barry Moser
Fables/Proverbs
The Dragon Lover and Other Chinese Proverbs by Yongsheng Xuan, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here. Five different Chinese proverbs written in both languages and told as fables in English, with universal morals: "The Lazy Farmer," "The Crane and the Clam," "The Musician and the Water Buffalo," "An Old Horse," and "The Dragon Lover."
The Ant and the Grasshopper by Amy Lowry Poole, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here An Aesop fable retold taking place in the Chinese Emperor's Summer Palace.
Chinese Proverbs illustrated by You Shan Tang, in Fenn collection
Fairy Tales
Auntie Tigress and Other Favorite Chinese Folk Tales by Gia-Zhen Wang, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown. Summary from amazon.com: Auntie Tigress, a fearsome child-eating monster who decorates her immense cape with trophies collected from her victims, finally meets her match in the unlikely form of a kindhearted little girl. How the girl triumphs makes for a story full of sly wit and intrigue, with echoes of Little Red Riding Hood. In the second tale, a hardworking, generous fisherman outwits his greedy landlord. The final tale, a Cinderella story, finds a foolish father discovering that the most valuable gifts aren’t the most costly. Beautifully illustrated and filled with fascinating details, these satisying stories are the perfect introduction to the folklore of China.
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young, Read Reviews Here.
Yeh-Shen by Ai-Ling Louie, borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown, Read Reviews Here - Chinese Cinderella
The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty & the Beast Tale by Laurence Yep (Author), Kam Mak (Illustrator), in Fenn collection.Read Reviews Here
Fairy Tale Variants from other Asian Cultures
Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburn (Author), Tzexa Cherta Lee (Author), Anne Sibley O'Brien (Illustrator), borrowed from Primary Source in Watertown. A tender variant of the Cinderella story from the Hmong people of Southeast Asia (Laos) takes place in a peasant village.
Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburn (Author), Edmund Flotte (Illustrator), in Fenn collection.
Brother Rabbit A Cambodian Tale by Minfong Ho & Saphan Ros, in Fenn collection.
Biography
Confucius - The Golden Rule, by Russell Freedman, in Fenn collection. Read Reviews This will make a fabulous read-aloud.
Myth Collections (world-wide collections which include China)
Sun, Moon, and Stars by Mary Hoffman, in Fenn collection.
Asian Tales and Tellers by Cathy Spagnoli, in Fenn collection.
Folk Tale Plays Round the World by Paul Nolan, in Fenn collection
Stories from The Silk Road by Cherry Gilchrist, in Fenn collection
Don't Know Much About World Myths by Kenneth C. Davis, in Fenn collection
Fire and Wings Dragon Tales from East and West by Marianne Carus, in Fenn collection
The Woman in the Moon and other tales of Forgotten Heroines by James Riordan, in Fenn collection
Trickster Tales Forty Folk Stories from Around the World by Josepha Sherman, in Fenn collection
Chinese Fiction (Picture Books)
The Greatest Power by Demi, in Fenn Collection
The City of Dragons by Laurence Yep, in Fenn Collection
The Jade Horse the Cricket and the Peach Stone by Ann Tompert, in Fenn collection
The Red Butterfly - How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk out of China by Deborah Noyes, in Fenn collection
The Cloudmakers by James Rutherford, in Fenn collection
The Topsy-Turvey Emperor of China by Isaac Bashevis Singer, in Fenn collection
Dream of Jade The Emperor's Cat by Lloyd Alexander, in Fenn collection
Beautiful Warrior the Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu by Emily Arnold McCully, in Fen Collection
Chinese Poetry
Beyond the Great Mountains A Visual Poem about China by Ed Young, in Fenn Collection
Ancient China Curriculum Binder (Primary Source Online catalog)
created by Erica Ilyin, Julie Kenerson, Lesley Reilly
A binder containing the actual curriculum created for the 5th grade social studies classes in the Wellesley public schools for 2003-2004. The unit is practical and informative. The topics covered on Ancient China cover geography, history, government, literature and writing, technology and the cultural beliefs.
Wellesley, MA : Wellesley Public Schools, 2003.
346p.
Lisa has e-mailed one of the creators of this curriculum -- still waiting for a response.
Ideally this unit of study is a shared 5th grade experience: shared reading, projects, and skills
What skills/highlights/enhancements/extensions from the library?
What are the themes for this unit of study?
Folklore, folktales, fairy tales
Creation stories, e.g. Gods from "the dawn of time" (Dragons, Gods & Spirits...by Tao Sanders, Out of Print, Grades 7-10, FSL)
Folktales of ordinary life (Tongues of Jade by Laurence Yep, Out of Print, Grades 3-7)
Religion
Worship of many Gods
Daoism/Taoism
Confucianism
Buddhism
Government
Roles of People
Legacies [Research report?]
Geography
Just finishing maps of Ancient China
What are the "text books" for this unit of study?
The Story of Ancient China, 2nd edition, 2005 by Suzanne Strauss Art
Primary Source Binder created by Nick
?Future Summer grant work: A reading binder of folklore, fairy tales, etc.; need to check Copyright regulations?
Questions for Monday, January 26th's planning meeting
1. How long will this unit last in 5th grade? Rest of year.
2. Do you want the librarians to share stories from Ancient China with the 5th graders? (See listing, below.) Yes
3. Research Project
What is the subject of the research project? TBD
When does it start? After March Break
What will it entail? Research, Note taking, paraphrasing, writing paragraphs, bibliography
What library/research skills do boys need to do it successfully? TBD
Ancient China Unit
Week of 2/2
Creation stories - Beginning/Middle/End and Compare/Contrast1) Read "Big Mama Makes the World" by Phyllis Root and together document the beginning/middle/end of the story.
2) Have students review Pan Gu story from Ancient China SS text book and in groups of two (or individually) document beginning/middle/end of that story, using handout from Read, Write, Think.
3) If time allows, read "Coyote" from "Marduk the Mighty" by Andrew Matthews and "The Mud on Turtles Back" from "When the world was Young" by Mararet Mayo, and compare/contrast similarities and differences between the creation stories, using handout from Read, Write, Think
Week of 2/9 & 2/16
Chinese Zodiac - Characteristics of Animals(This is a simplified version of the lesson plan at EDSITEment.)
1) Review what the students know about the Chinese Calendar.
2) Hand out Chinese Zodiac Animals Traits List.doc for recording positive/negative traits of each animal.
3) Read "Cat & Rat" by Ed Young (Rat & Ox), "Why Rat Comes First" by Clara Yen (Rat & Ox), "Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Monica Chang (Rat & Ox), or "The Great Race - The Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Dawn Casey (Rat & Ox).
4) Have students record traits for each animal while stories are being read.
5) Review traits as a group.
Week of 2/23
1) Read "The Animals of the Chinese Zodaic" by Susan Whitfield (all of the animals are mentioned), "The Rooster's Antlers" by Eric Kimmel. (Dragon & Rooster), Animals in the Stars by Gregory Crawford (one story for each animal), "The Dragon's Tale" by Demi (one story for each animal) to complete the charts.2) Compare traits in small groups and try to complete charts.
Week of 3/2, 3/10, & 3/30
Have students return to their lists of animal traits and see if they still have gaps to fill in. If so, use traits in books to complete charts. Then select one animal about which to make a bookmark. Bookmark should contain:1) Picture of animal
2) Name of animal in Chinese and English
3) Positive and Negative traits of animal
4) Recent years of that animal
5) Student's name
Make bookmarks out of oak tag and laminate.
Rubric for Peer evaluation of Bookmarks.
Week of 3/30 & 4/6
Read The Great Wall by Elizabeth Mann and looked at Mongolia by Jan ReynoldsBooks to Use During Library Time in Coming Weeks (in no particular order)
Ancient China Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of China's Past by Jacqueline Ball & Richard LevyFive Heavenly Emperors - Chinese Myths of Creation by song Nan Zhang - Chinese Mythology (to compare to Greek)
Auntie Tigress and Other Favorite Chinese Folktales by Gia-Zhen Wang
A Time of Golden Dragons by Song Nan Zhang & Hao Yu Zhang - (Chapter 2) compares Dragon history in East and West.
Confucius - The Golden Rule, by Russell Freedman (Chapter 4)
The Great Wall of China by Leonard Everett Fisher (Chapter 5)
Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas, by Naomi C. Rose, in Fenn Collection
Books by Theme
Collections of Chinese Stories
Dragons in Chinese Culture
Trickster Tales
Chinese Zodiac
All of these books are for primary grades, but are good examples of how young children learn their culture's traditional stories.Variations on Mulan
Folktales
Creation Stories
Fables/Proverbs
Fairy Tales
Fairy Tale Variants from other Asian Cultures
Biography
Myth Collections (world-wide collections which include China)
Chinese Fiction (Picture Books)
Chinese Poetry
Websites
Ancient Civilizations
Ancient Mesopotamia This History Our History5th grade China Resources from Wellesley Public Schools
Rich selection of age appropriate resources
Search Engine Created for Ancient China Resources
WebQuests:
A Journey to Ancient ChinaCurator's Challenge Design an Exhibit on Ancient China
Ancient China WebQuest (Middle School 6-8 grade)
WebQuests on Ancient China
Teacher Guides and Resources
5th grade China Resources from Wellesley Public SchoolsRich selection of age appropriate resources
Ancient China Curriculum Binder (Primary Source Online catalog)
created by Erica Ilyin, Julie Kenerson, Lesley Reilly
A binder containing the actual curriculum created for the 5th grade social studies classes in the Wellesley public schools for 2003-2004. The unit is practical and informative. The topics covered on Ancient China cover geography, history, government, literature and writing, technology and the cultural beliefs.
Wellesley, MA : Wellesley Public Schools, 2003.
346p.
The Enduring Legacy of Ancient China compiled by Primary Source of Watertown, MA, FSL
China Online Teacher Guides Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Lisa and Lucia Meeting
Friday, January 23, 2008Brainstorming Session:
Ideally this unit of study is a shared 5th grade experience: shared reading, projects, and skillsWhat skills/highlights/enhancements/extensions from the library?
What are the themes for this unit of study?
What are the "text books" for this unit of study?
The Story of Ancient China, 2nd edition, 2005 by Suzanne Strauss Art
Primary Source Binder created by Nick
?Future Summer grant work: A reading binder of folklore, fairy tales, etc.; need to check Copyright regulations?
Questions for Monday, January 26th's planning meeting
1. How long will this unit last in 5th grade? Rest of year.2. Do you want the librarians to share stories from Ancient China with the 5th graders? (See listing, below.) Yes
3. Research Project